Muses on the reasons for a "director's cut" of the 1969 Soviet film "The Color of Pomegranates," produced after the official version had initially been heavily reedited. Offers historical background on the film. States that it places unusual demands on its audiences, especially because of its density of texture and its…

Uses a case study of V. Pudovkin's film, "Return of Vasilii Bortnikov" (1953), to (1) address the possible influence of Hollywood-style continuity on the basic film technique of Soviet Socialist Realism; and (2) account for how the American model may have been modified as it was adapted to the Soviet situation. (PA)